Engine unit for motor vehicle

Abstract

A motor vehicle power unit comprised of a transversely disposed in-line cylinder block inclined rearwardly. A crankshaft is contained within a dry sump crankcase positioned between the cylinder block and drives and output shaft through an intermediate gear. The output shaft and crankshaft define a plane that intersects a plane defined by the cylinder bores and crankshaft. A dry sump oil reservoir is positioned between these planes and the output shaft has a pulley that drives a plurality of engine accessories that lie forwardly of and over the cylinder block.

I claim: 
     
       1. An internal combustion engine comprising a cylinder block having a plurality of aligned cylinder bores defining a first plane inclined to a vertically extending plane, a crankshaft rotatable about an axis lying substantially within said first plane and driven by pistons reciprocating within said cylinders, a dry sump crankcase in which said crankshaft rotates, a shaft driven by said crankshaft and rotatable about an axis parallel to and offset from crankshaft axis for providing a power output from said engine, said output shaft axis and said crankshaft axis defining a second plane, inclined with respect to the vertically extending plane and perpendicularly intersecting said first plane, and an oil reservoir for said engine lying within a space defined between said first and said second planes. 
     
     
       2. An internal combustion engine as set forth in claim 1 wherein the oil reservoir lies within a third quadrant defined between the first and second planes when counted in a clockwise direction and beginning with the plane of the cylinder bores as it extends upwardly from the crankshaft axis. 
     
     
       3. An internal combustion engine as set forth in claim 1 wherein the shaft driven by the crankshaft comprises a primary transmission shaft and further including a secondary transmission shaft lying on the same side of the first plane as the primary transmission shaft and including change speed gearing sets on said primary and said secondary transmission shafts for driving said secondary shaft at selected speed ratios from said primary transmission shaft. 
     
     
       4. An internal combustion engine as set forth in claim 3 wherein the oil reservoir lies within a third quadrant defined between the first and second planes when counted in a clockwise direction and beginning with the plane of the cylinder bores as it extends upwardly from the crankshaft axis. 
     
     
       5. An internal combustion engine as set forth in claim 4 further including a plurality of engine accessories driven by the transmission primary shaft and lying on the same side of the cylinder block as the transmission primary shaft. 
     
     
       6. An internal combustion engine as set forth in claim 5 in combination with a motor vehicle having an engine compartment in which the engine is contained and a passenger compartment positioned adjacent the engine compartment, the cylinder block being interposed between the driven accessories and the engine compartment. 
     
     
       7. An internal combustion engine as set forth in claim 1 further including a plurality of engine accessories driven by the transmission primary shaft and lying on the same side of the cylinder block as the transmission primary shaft. 
     
     
       8. An internal combustion engine as set forth in claim 7 in combination with a motor vehicle having an engine compartment in which the engine is contained and a passenger compartment positioned adjacent the engine compartment, the cylinder block being interposed between the driven accessories and the engine compartment. 
     
     
       9. An internal combustion engine as set forth in claim 8 wherein the accessories include a scavenge pump for delivering oil from the dry sump crankcase to the oil reservoir and a pressure pump for delivering the oil from the oil reservoir to the engine lubricating system. 
     
     
       10. In an internal combustion engine comprised of a cylinder block having a plurality of cylinder bores defining a plane inclined to a vertically extending plane, a crankshaft rotatable about a first axis lying substantially within first plane, an output shaft drain by said crankshaft and rotatable about a second axis parallel to and offset from said first axis and lying forwardly of said first plane, a pulley rotatable with said output shaft, and at least one engine accessory driven from said pulley and lying forwardly of said cylinder block. 
     
     
       11. In an internal combustion engine as set forth in claim 10 wherein the output shaft further drives a change speed transmission lying on the same side of the plane as the pulley. 
     
     
       12. In an internal combustion engine as set forth in claim 10 in combination with a motor vehicle having an engine compartment in which the engine is positioned and a passenger compartment adjacent the engine compartment, the cylinder block being interposed between the accessory and the passenger compartment. 
     
     
       13. In an internal combustion engine as set forth in claim 12 wherein the output shaft further drives a change speed transmission lying on the same side of the plane as the pulley. 
     
     
       14. An internal combustion engine as set forth in claim 1 in combination with a motor vehicle having an engine compartment in which said engine is contained with the crankshaft rotational axis extending transversely to the engine compartment and having an air inlet to said engine compartment positioned forwardly of said crankshaft axis. 
     
     
       15. An internal combustion engine as set forth in claim 14 wherein the oil reservoir is positioned forwardly of the cylinder block so that the air entering the engine compartment flows across and oil reservoir before it flows across said cylinder block. 
     
     
       16. An internal combustion engine as set forth in claim 15 wherein the oil reservoir lies within a third quadrant defined between the first and second planes when counted in a clockwise direction and beginning with the plane of the cylinder bores as it extends upwardly from he crankshaft axis. 
     
     
       17. An internal combustion engine as set forth in claim 15 wherein the shaft driven by the crankshaft comprises a primary transmission shaft and further including a secondary transmission shaft lying on the same side of the first plane as the primary transmission shaft and including change speed gearing sets on said primary and said secondary transmission shafts for driving said secondary shaft at selected speed ratios from said primary transmission shaft. 
     
     
       18. An internal combustion engine as set forth in claim 17 wherein the oil reservoir lies within a third quadrant defined between the first and second planes when counted in a clockwise direction and beginning with the plane of the cylinder bores as it extends upwardly from the crankshaft axis. 
     
     
       19. An internal combustion engine as set forth in claim 18, further including a plurality of engine accessories driven by the transmission primary shaft and lying on the same side of the cylinder block as the transmission primary shaft.